A Most Unusual Circumstance
by Sabbie
Summary: Mulan and Shang's courtship through Shang's mother's eyes.


A Most Unusual Circumstance

Mulan and Shang's courtship seen through Shang's mother's eyes/

1.

The timing couldn't have been better. Li Hsin was starting to get worried about her eldest son, Li Shang. Dedication was all well and good, but she wasn't getting any younger and she would like her eldest son to have someone who could care for him. He had been rejecting so many offers for potential wife. To say that she was curious about this girl he was currently courting was an understatement.

"She is Fa Zhou's daughter."

Hsin smiled happily. Her husband had told her so many good things about Fa Zhou.

"How did you two meet?"

She saw him hesitate. He cleared his throat meaningfully and answered, "The Wu Zhong camp."

"Ah, you must have met her on your off days then."

He didn't look into her eyes. "Yes. That."

Li Hsin wasn't an oblivious woman; she knew he was hiding something.

2.

It was decided that they were to discuss the wedding while it was still summer. Li Hsin has early onset rheumatism and if they delayed the meeting for a "better" time, her son would have to wait even longer and she wanted to see her boy married off soon.

The trip was two days long, and they also brought with them Shang's little brother, Guo. She hoped that the bride's family wouldn't mind, she hated leaving her son alone with a stranger while she was away.

When the door to the compound opened, she saw her prospective daughter in law, reining in what seems to be a difficult horse. She flushed when she saw them and graced them with a beautiful smile. Guo immediately took to the horse and before she knew it, Fa Mulan was actually indulging the little boy.

What a relief.

Although Li Hsin couldn't help but wonder why the girl's hair was so short.

3.

"This is a cozy place," she said as she laid down her teacup. Her son is currently discussing the dowry and the wedding arrangements with Fa Zhou. It was not normally done, but with her father in law and husband dead, well…one must make exceptions.

"Thank you." Fa Li, mother of the bride politely smiled.

"Such beautiful views and the air are very fresh."

"Well it's the country, girl. Can't get anymore boring than this," an older woman she surmised as Fa Zhou's mother piped up. Fa Li looked at her meaningfully.

"I mean that sincerely, Ma'am" she said, swirling her tea cup. "The capital may have a lot of hustle and bustle but it does get quite cold up there and it can be a bit much for one's constitution." She gestured towards her back.

"Well here, let me get you some herbal tea, dearie. I have a pretty bad case of back pain, and the tea works miracles." The older woman hobbled off from the guest room. She exchanged smiles with Fa Li. Fa Li returned the comforting gesture.

Suddenly, the older woman popped back in, "Unless your back pains are caused by some man. Can't say I can help with that." There was a twinkle in her smile.

Fa Li groaned.

4.

"Mother we need to talk," her son whispered as he pulled her away to a discrete spot.

"What's the matter? Is everything going well?"

Shang grimaced. "Well…I don't know if I can pull Mulan away from her family. She's…the only child they have."

Was that it? She had heard of unreasonable dowries and demands but that wasn't something she expected.

"They do seem nice…" she said carefully, watching her son's tense expression.

"There is a bigger town close to this one, mother. One where you can buy excellent silk and …they do say that this province has the best food." He paused. "Of course, after the capital, mother."

She nodded. She looked at Guo, right now playing with a very cheerful dog being chased around by chickens with Mulan watching, quite attentively. She was actually quite good at it.

"We'll see, Li Shang," she answered. It'd give her ample time to see if the family was a good one or if Fa Mulan deserve her son.

He put on his impassive mask and stiffly nodded.

"What about the dowry?"

5.

They decided to stay for the week and after much of the Fa family's insistence, they stayed at the other quarter of the house. Guo was more than happy because he finally got a lot of empty space for him to run around in, not to mention a slew of animals he could play with.

They toured around the town for the first day and while it was quaint, she liked the intimate atmosphere. Everyone greeted her, but there was something off, like a secret about Fa Mulan that no one is saying.

Every morning, she saw Mulan attend to her chores, feed the chickens, care for the horse and tending to the garden and sometimes, even the small patch of rice paddy field the family owned.

"You are quite hard working aren't you?" she commented.

"Well, I just want to make it easier for my family…they are getting older."

"True enough. Are all country girls as robust as you are?"

Fa Mulan looked like she wasn't really sure how to answer her question. "Oh, no, I don't mean it like that. After all, you don't see girls in the capital heft sacks of rice, calm such a large horse easily and have the energy to cook in the afternoons."

The girl looked even more panicked. Hsin was amused. "I'm sure it's all this fresh air, yes?"

Fa Mulan gave her a stiff smile and nodded.

There definitely was something going on.

6.

She was surprised to see that her sons' subordinates visited. It wasn't exactly protocol, but somehow news spread about her son's arrival and three men showed up on the Fa's doorstep. What surprised her even more was that they acted so casually around him. The tall, thin man with the rotund man and the shorter gentleman visited that afternoon traded jokes, conversed and even needled her son. This was a bit of a departure, as Shang had been, for the longest time a loner.

Mulan brought over some tea and snacks and to Li Hsin's surprise, she even joined them, trading barbs and teasing remarks along with her son. There was a punch directed to her shoulder by the bearded man but she quickly returned it and everyone in the table laughed.

It was an odd sight and even odder, to see her son reveal a side she's never seen before.

7.

She was accosted by a large, unpleasant looking woman while she was looking at a silk garment in town.

"You are the mother of the young man courting Fa Mulan?"

"Yes?" she said tentatively.

"Hmph, she is not worth your time. I could find someone more suitable for your son."

That got her interest. Fa Mulan was an unusual girl, for sure and she wouldn't have picked her to be with her son. She was not graceful like the girls in the capital, nor was she demure and very feminine. But she was also very dedicated to her family, and got along really well with Guo and she has also seen the way her eldest son look at her. A girl so hardworking and loyal like that…would have had offers of marriage everywhere. And yet, this unknown woman decided to barge in on her to tell her this. Something was up. So carefully she said, "I will see, Madam, but thank you for your kind offer."

Pleased, the overweight woman nodded and left.

8.

She had politely asked her son and his beau to meet her at the garden. "I don't think…I'm getting the clearest picture here, she began demurely.

There it was again, the panicked look on both of their faces. "I would like to know…how you two meet."

They exchanged glances and swallowed.

"And spare me your half truths, children. I know that you two are hiding something. "

They both looked at each other meaningfully. Mulan's lips thinned and her son gave a long, heaving sigh. She gave an imploring nod.

"We met…at the Wu Zhong camp…" he slowly began.

"When I was masquerading as a man…" she finished, carefully.

What followed afterwards was a long story about family honour, war conscription, her sick father, some sort of training camp thing that involved climbing a pole and weights (that she was sure she will never understand), long grueling walks towards the Tung Shao pass, her husband's tragic death, a snow avalanche, the moment where he found out about her real identity, some improvised rescue mission in the Forbidden City, the emperor…saving China?

She'd need to digest this with a clear head. "Thank you for your honesty."

9.

When she made up her mind, she cornered Fa Mulan soon after in the family gardens near the ancestor's temple.

"I have to say, young lady, you are not the sort of girl I pictured my son would marry."

Mulan was silent.

"You two have a very unorthodox history together, and while you definitely can cook, mind the house and come from a good family…you are not exactly the picture prefect young woman I'd hoped to woo my son away."

She watched Fa Mulan the war hero squirm, her face changing expressions several time before her lips straightened in determination.

"With all due respect Madam Li, I did not choose this way of life either. Things conspired and become what they are, and I suppose, I can't blindly follow each and every tradition to the letter because I would rather do something and fail at trying rather than resign myself to what seems to be the easiest option."

Huh. Not what she expected. Li Hsin replied, "Fair enough, but even after you became the hero of China, some people would rather still talk about your mistakes rather than see you as…this person sitting beside me."

Mulan nodded, asking her to continue.

"In all my life I've never really seen my son smile or relax around other people. He takes after his father, you know, work, work work. But, with you and your platoon he seems happier. And my other son likes it here. "

Mulan blinked in surprise.

"But will you be happy here? I know you're staying here because of your family. But Xiangyang would welcome you better; treat you like the hero you deserve. Not like some pariah to be avoided.

Boy does she look surprised with her response. Fa Mulan shrugged. "It is a small town; there is little else to do for some people than gossip. It can be hurtful sometimes, but nothing gets done when I sit beside myself and think about how awful it is."

Li Hsin patted Mulan's back.

"Besides, they will find something else to talk about, one of these days," Mulan added, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"It is a beautiful place though," Li Hsin commented added as an afterthought.

Mulan nodded slowly, watching the leaves turn a shade of red.

10.

It was not a perfect arrangement but it was good enough. And that was something Li Hsin was very grateful of.


End file.
